Adjustable slide bearings for motor grader moldboard mounting



P 9, 1969 w. F. FISHER ET AL 3,465,829

ADJUSTABLE SLIDE BEARINGS FOR MOTOR GRAHER MOLDBOARE) MOUNTTNG Filed June 29, 1967 INVENTORS W/LL/A/V/ F. F/SHEP JAMES L. Hug/5 BY THOMAS E MQ/l/PTHV United States Patent U.S. Cl. 172--743 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Adjustable slide bearing mountings, for grader blades, which are of simplified construction and facilitate adjustment to eliminate blade play resulting from wear in the bearings. Square sideshift rails are angularly disposed on the blade. A V-shaped slide bearing is disposed at each juncture of the rails and brackets which support. the rails and blade. A single adjusting screw is associated with each bearing to move it against two oppositely inclined surfaces of the rail.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED PATENT US. patent application Ser. No. 606,228 titled Motor Grader Blade Shift with Improved Side Shift Rails filed by Russell D. Page et al. on Dec. 30, 1966 and assigned to the assignee of the present invention.

Because of the close limits placed on grade requirements, it is important to provide a close-fitting connection between the motor grader blade and the blade circle to permit the motor grader operator to accurately control the position of the moldboard relative to a'surface to be graded. However, it is also necessary to permit sideshifting motion of the blade relative to the blade circle. The above requirement is particularly important when automatic blade controls are employed since any looseness in the blade connection could result in substantial grading errors. 1

In the prior art, it has been common to employ slide bearings between sideshifting rails mounted on the blade and brackets which connect the blade to the blade circle to permit lateral movement of the blade while controlling the attitude of the blade relative to a surface to *begraded. The most common types of slide bearings are U- or C- shaped brackets which act against both horizontaland vertical surfaces of the sideshift rails to provide slidable support therefor. A particular problem arises due to wear between the slide bearings and side rails caused, for example, by lateral adjustment of the blade and general grader operation. As noted above, it is necessary to main tain a close fit between the slide bearings and the, side rails. However, during operation, wear occurs between the rail and the bottom and side surfaces of the U-shaped bearing. Shims have commonly been employed to take up slack caused by wear between the bottom surface of the bearing and the rail. However, due to the difficulty of employing shims between the rail and the bearing side surfaces, it is common to replace the bearing when wear at these surfaces exceeds permissible limits. Either for insertion of shims or replacement of the bearing, the blade mounting must be at least partially disassembled to permit the insertion of new parts. Such adjustments require an inordinate amount of time as well as a careful selection of shims to insure a close slide fit between the bearing and the sideshift rail.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION To minimize or eliminate the above problems where the blade is connected to a blade receiving member by means of brackets and sideshift rails which are retained 3,465,829 Patented Sept. 9, 1969 "ice by the brackes while being free to move laterally, each side rail is disposed to present two angularly inclined surfaces to its retaining bracket. A slide bearing member is disposed between a portion of each bracket and its sideshifting rail to interact between the bracket and each of the angularly inclined surfaces. Single adjusting means are disposed to interact between each slide bearing and the associated bracket portion to adjust the proximity of the bearing to each of the oppositely inclined surfaces.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a blade circle, a blade and mounting apparatus for movably disposing the blade upon the circle; and

FIG. 2 is a side view in elevation of the blade assembly more clearly illustrating the mounting apparatus associated therewith.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODINMENT The present invention is described with respect to a conventional blade circle 11 of a type to be mounted upon a motor grader vehicle (not shown), the blade circle having arms 12 extending downwardly therefrom. A bracket 13 is pivotally connected to each of the circle arms by means of a rod 14 supported by the two circle arms. The brackets include means 16 for establishing and adjusting the pivotal position of the brackets and thus the pitch of a moldboard or blade 17. A hydraulic jack 18 is disposed upon the brackets and has its rod end 19 connected to the blade at a point 21 to provide sideshifting control over the blade, Mounting apparatus indicated at 22 provides for adjustable disposition of the blade upon the brackets while permitting lateral motion of the 'blade relative to the brackets. Upper and lower square sideshifting rails 23 and 24, respectively, are angularly disposed at each side of a rearward surface of the blade by means of mounting plates 26. The use of the mounting plates for replaceable disposition of the sideshifting rails upon the blade was disclosed in US. patent application Ser. No. 606,228. Thus, each rail presents two oppositely inclined surfaces, that is, a forwardly inclined surface 27 and a rearwardly inclined surface 28, to a portion of the bracket wherein the side rail is to be secured. An upper horizontal bracket portion is indicated at 29 while a lower horizontal bracket portion is indicated at 31. Each bracket portion has a bearing block, indicated at 32, relative to the upper bracket portion and at 32 relative to the lower bracket portion, for receiving a slide bearing 33 and maintaining it in a proper position to act against the oppositely inclined surfaces of each sideshifting rail. The slide bearings are V-shaped members and the bearing blocks have V-shaped indentations to suitably receive the slide bearings. An end cap, one of which is indicated at 34, is replaceably secured at either end of each bracket portion to prevent lateral motion of the slide bearings and bearings blocks within the brackets.

Alternate embodiments of adjusting means are illustrated upon the upper and lower bracket portions, respectively. Either embodiment could be employed exclusively if desired. Referring to the upper bracket portion 29, an adjusting screw 36 threadedly penetrates the bracket portion to act against the bearing block to drive the bearing block and the slide bearing into closer proximity with the sideshifting rail.

Referring now to the lower bracket portion 31 in FIG. 2, an alternate adjusting arrangement is illustrated to permit easier access to the adjusting screw and to minimize its exposure to damaging contact with rocks or other hard objects. The lower bearing block 32 has an inclined surface 37 adjacent the bracket portion and opposite its V-shaped indentation, An adjusting wedge 38 is 3 slidably disposed between the bearing block 32' and the bracket portion with a similarly inclined surface 39 adjacent the inclined surface of the bearing block. An adjusting screw 41 threadedly penetrates the side of the bracket portion and acts against the wedge member to urge the bearing block and bearing closer to the rail.

The present invention thus provides mounting apparatus in which the sideshifting rails on the blade are held in closely aligned sliding relation with the brackets associated with the blade circle. As wear results between the slide bearings and the sideshifting rails, particularly from lateral adjustment of the blade, the corresponding looseness between the sideshifting rails and the side bearings of each bracket portion may be readily adjusted by means of the single adjusting screws. In particular, it is to be noted that by adjustment of each single screw, the slide bearing is moved into closer proximity with each of the oppositely inclined surfaces of the side rail. Thus, looseness between the sideshifting rail and the bracket is elimi nated in both a horizontal and vertical plane without the additional use of shims and without the necessity of disassembling any portion of the mounting apparatus to make the adjustment.

What is claimed is:

1. Mounting apparatus for disposing a grader blade upon a blade circle having brackets adjustably connected thereto for controlling blade pitch, the combination comprising:

generally rectangular upper and lower side shifting rails respectively adjacent upper and lower bracket ortions a V-shaped slide bearing disposed between each bracket portion and two oppositely inclined surfaces of said adjacent rail,

adjusting means disposed relative to each bracket portion to adjustably interact between said bracket portion and its slide bearing to alter the proximity of said bearing to each of said oppositely inclined surfaces of said adjacent rail, said adjusting means comprising an adjusting screw threadedly penetrating said bracket portion to act against said bearing block, and

a movable bearing block disposed between each said bracket portion and its bearing, said bearing block having a V-shaped indentation adjacent said bearing, each of said bracket portions including end caps replaceably disposed thereon in at least partially overlapping and retaining relation to said bearing block and said slide bearing.

2. The mounting apparatus of claim 1 wherein a wedge member is slidably associated with each said bearing block and said adjusting screw threadably penetrates said bracket portion to act against said bearing block by means of said wedge member.

3. The mounting apparatus of claim 1 wherein said rails are replaceably connected to mounting plates disposed on a rear surface of the blade.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,265,099 5/1918 McKnight 172793 2,093,681 9/1937 Le Valley 30868 2,258,890 10/1941 Gustafson 172795 X 2,313,613 3/1943 Boillat 308--3 X ROBERT E. BAGWILL, Primary Examiner S. C. PELLEGRINO, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 172793; 308-3 

